The Northeast Alpha Conference

by Karen Perka
Calvary Episcopal Church, Burnt Hills, NY

The Northeast Alpha Conference held on March 16 and 17, 1998 at St. Edward the Confessor (Roman Catholic) Church in Clifton Park, NY was a huge success. The Rt. Rev. Daniel Herzog received a revelation from God that Alpha was the evangelical medium for all Christians to embrace in order to expand God's kingdom on earth and give hope to the lost. In that vision, Bishop Herzog secured the venue and dates for the conference. At that time there was no apparent coordinator for the conference, but never the less, faith and the holy spirit was in charge and Bishop Herzog prayed for the rest.

It was at the December diocesan council meeting that I was sitting next to Bishop Dan around the table. I mentioned to Bishop Dan that my position at the Albany Medical Center Hospital was not budgeted in 1998 and I had heard that the diocesan office was short staff and needed volunteers to assist with office reception and secretarial work. It only took a couple minutes from that point that Bishop Dan whispered in my ear and asked if I would help him with Alpha. I said, of course, yes, but little did I know what that simple request and answer would lead to. Bishop Dan called me at Albany Medical Center the last week in December and informed me that an office with a computer was set up for me and when could I meet with him. I started on the Alpha conference on January 5 and from there worked full time working for the Lord
and Bishop Dan.

Most Alpha conferences take anywhere from 6 to 9 months in planning. The Alpha North America office knew that the Albany conference had a limited time frame and we needed to microwave the process. I had never coordinated a conference before, especially one in which 400 delegates would be an expectation. From the very first moment I sat in my new office I knew that I had stepped into a miracle of faith ministry. I had been praying for some
time that I could work for God full time instead of in a secular work environment and my prayers were answered.

Every single step of the conference planning went smoothly. I was able to recruit key people who had also been called to the Alpha program to assist me in every aspect of the ministry, from prayer teams, registration volunteers, refreshment/hospitality hostesses, media news coordinator, mailing campaigns of the conference brochure (the Alpha North American Office sent me 13,000 brochures), and so much more.

Believe it or not, there were 547 delegates who attended the conference and we had 65 sponsoring churches. The 2 day workshop is designed to train Christian leaders on how to facilitate the 10 week Alpha course back in their churches and communities. The Alpha course is an invitational ministry where Christians who are not only excited about their faith, but have a the gift of evangelism, invite their friends, coworkers, neighbors, and other people in
their circle of influence to learn more about Christianity and Jesus. ALPHA is actually an acronym. It stands for: Anyone who is interested in learning more about Christianity in a non threatening environment. Learning and laughing together - there is no reason why we can't be jubilant and excited about learning and sharing our faith with others who have none. People meeting together and sharing time getting to know each other. Helping each other in times of need and growing. Ask any question without being humiliated or laughed at. There are 15 sessions in the 10 week course that addresses questions like " Why did Jesus die?", "How do I read the bible?", "What is the Holy Spirit?", and other tenants of our faith.

Nicky Gumble, one of the originators of the Alpha course from Holy Trinity, Brompton in London was the guest speaker, along with Sandy Millar, also from Holy Trinity, Brompton. There were several others from the London team who lead the conference, as well as many of the Alpha North American team who lead the prayer ministry and other break out sessions on the administration of the 10 week course, Youth Alpha and Worship.

Many delegates were able to be prayed for and some were slain by the Holy Spirit, absolutely overcome with the joy and peace of the spirit. Speaking in Tongues was taught in a way that allowed delegates to be receptive to the gift, if that particular gift was theirs. Truly I can say, that the delegates who attended the conference had a mountain top experience and that most of them would be going back to their churches and would become committed to spreading the gospel of our Lord. This simple ministry is indeed what the apostles taught us to do.

The North American Alpha office is located at 109 East 5oth Street, NYC, NY 10022. The number there is 1-888-949-2574. People interested in future conferences or general information about the Alpha 10 week course can contact this office. The office staff are wonderful and will be able to provide a lot of information about the Alpha program, how to get started, resource material ordering, etc.

Contact: Karen Perka
Episcopal Diocese of Albany
518-465-4737
e-mail: Kperka@aol.com.

0--Return to Contents

ECUSA Executive Council Report

San Jose, California
February 13-17, 1998
by Dr. Alfred Price

In the Winter 1998 issue of The Grapevine, my friend and colleague Warren Ramshaw reported to the Province on the Executive Council meeting of November '97 held in New York City. Along with the Reverend Virginia Sheay, Rector of St. Luke's Church, Trenton, New Jersey, it is our privilege to represent Province II on the national Executive Council. We have agreed to take turns in reporting to the Province on the matters that come before us, and to share our impressions of the activities of executive Council.

New PB Assumes the Chair

Just as much of last November's meeting was dominated by saying good-bye to the Most Reverend Edmond L. Browning, much of February's meeting in San Jose, Ca. was enlivened by welcoming the newly invested Presiding Bishop, the Most Reverend Frank T. Griswold to the Chair of presiding officer for the first time. In practice, the Presiding Bishop co-chairs the meetings with Dr. Pamela Chinnis, President of the House of Deputies of General Convention. Although Bishop Griswold was in attendance and took an active part in last November's meeting, San Jose was his first as the Executive Council's presiding officer. Everyone's impression of Bishop Griswold is that he is a person of intelligence, spirituality, grace, and great good humor, all gifts which will serve him in good stead in the challenging months and years ahead.

Considerable time on the agenda was devoted to hearing the new presiding bishop describe his first few weeks in office, his personal style of administration, and his plans for staffing his own office. We also learned about the demands-- physical, mental, emotional, and spiritual-- that this office places on its incumbent. Members of Executive Council were quick to counsel the Presiding Bishop to take good care of himself, and he assured us that he manages his time to provide adequately for rest and restoration of body and soul.

Plenaries and Sub-Committees

Executive Council typically meets in plenary session to finalize its agenda, and to consider matters which come before Executive Council routinely. In contrast, much of the substantive work of the Executive Council is hammered out in its Sub-Committees, before being returned to the floor for definitive action. These Sub-Committees were established (or re-affirmed) in the organizational session last November, as reported on in the last issue of The Grapevine. They include: (1) Administration and Finance, (2) Evaluation and Planning, (3) Support for Congregations and Dioceses, (4) National and International Concerns, and (5) Communications.

The work of each Sub-Committee is defined by the actions of the General Convention. Many of the resolutions passed by General Convention require some follow-up action, and although individual resolutions may be referred to an interim body other than the Executive Council, it is the general responsibility of the Executive Council to monitor all resolutions to be certain that the appropriate action is being taken. In some cases, members of Executive Council are invited to serve as liaisons with an interim body, or with an executive body within the structure of the Episcopal Church Center in New York City. In the case of a Sub-Committee like Communications, General Convention has mandated that new initiatives be undertaken; accordingly, a higher degree of Executive Committee involvement in that initiative is warranted. Ralph Spence of Montana is Chairing this Sub-Committee, and they have outlined an ambitious agenda for the triennium.

Several of us observed that Executive Council functions in ways that are similar to General Convention. Between meetings of the whole church, we are expected to reflect and carry out the will of the whole church. We do so by being faithful in our daily study of scripture and in our corporate worship, and through our division of labor and task-orientation. Over the course of the four-day meeting, each Sub-Committee Chair reports progress to the entire Executive Council seated in plenary session, including recommending that Executive Council take specific actions.

Controversies

It would be possible to present a view of the work of Executive Council without ever referring to matters of principle which divide members of the church. While we do respect differing positions of our members, and though we strive to operate on the basis of consensus insofar as possible, controversies are inevitable given the cross-sectional nature of Executive Council's membership.

One matter about which we became better informed, and around which churchwide opinion continues to swirl is the "Ellen Cooke affair." The defalcations by the former Treasurer should, in the view of many, be behind us by now. Mrs. Cooke is serving prison time for her misdeeds; the church has recovered all but $200,000 of the $2,000,000 which Ms. Cooke misappropriated. Still, there are voices in the church which argue that there has not been a full accounting of this incident. In particular, they argue that the "books must be audited 100%" to address the concerns of the folks in the pews; and that, anything short of meeting this demand amounts to a continuing "cover-up." Executive Council has determined that nothing could be further from the truth.

Consider these facts. The independent financial analysts who were brought in to investigate the affair have said clearly that certain of the trust accounts for which the church is responsible date back several hundred years, and it is extremely difficult (in some cases, impossible) to locate the original paperwork which established these accounts. Technically, it is impossible to conduct an "audit" of any account unless you can determine a beginning balance and start date of account activity. Most reasonable people are willing to accept the historical balance in these accounts as their "start balances," but it is possible to challenge such numbers. Auditors, therefore, will not "audit" such accounts, even though they will provide an opinion stating that, if beginning funds balances are accurate, all subsequent accounting is in order. It is frustrating that these sorts of matters are the basis for division within the body of Christ, but that's what it amounts to...disagreements over accounting procedures.

Sadder still is that those who have some ax to grind with the leadership of the national office have pursued formal legal complaints through the New York State Attorney General's office. The preparation and filing of such a complaint costs just a couple of hundred dollars. However, the Episcopal Church Center has had to spend nearly $300,000 defending itself (not counting the hundreds of hours of valuable staff time consumed with accessing old files, preparing information, and answering questions). That's $100,000 more than we lost because of Ellen Cooke in the first place!

Signs of Life: Messages of Hope

Following a disastrous storm in Guam, Bishop Kaiser reported on his and Treasurer Steve Duggan's trip there to see what the church might do to help re-build an Episcopal Church School which serves the island. We are pleased to report that Executive Council approved the financing plan for the complete re-building of the school.

Don Betts, lay member of Executive Council from Nebraska, introduced Executive Council to an interesting and fun technique for fund-raising called "A Drop in the Bucket." Before a morning Eucharist, he placed a suitable container on the floor at the front of the room, and invited everyone to put in it at the offeratory whatever funds each felt s/he could afford, with all funds going to support the Presiding Bishop's Fund for World Relief. In two days, we raised $1, 072. Try it in your home parishes! (I did-- it works!)

While in the Diocese of El Camino Real, we were warmly hosted by Bishop Richard Schimfky, and had an opportunity to meet a number of diocesan clergy and lay leaders. Given the highly diverse nature of metro San Jose's population, this Diocese is deeply involved in and highly committed to multi-cultural ministries. They have learned much to offer the rest of the church. We attended an evening family service at the downtown cathedral, which was conducted entirely in Spanish (including the Prayer of Consecration which the Celebrant, Bishop Griswold, delivered). The church was packed to the rafters, and at the time of the administration of the sacrament small children appeared as if from everywhere and rushed forward by themselves to receive communion from the Presiding Bishop. It was a true sign of life and hope. The priest responsible for Spanish ministries later explained to us that nearly 500 Spanish-speaking children had signed up for Sunday School, but that their building can only accommodate 200. An Episcopal church in the downtown of a city bursting with new growth was a refreshing experience.

For Sunday worship, Executive Council's practice is to divide up into small groups and to accept invitations to various local parishes which would welcome our presence. I was a part of a group that attended services at St. Phillip's in east San Jose where we participated in a true multi-cultural service of divine worship. Many people have been to places where the Spanish-speaking service is sandwiched in at 9:30 between the early and late morning Eucharist. Or, we've attended services which experimented with singing one hymn in one language, and the next in another. St. Phillip's was different.

The people of St. Phillip's are diverse: well-to-do and working class; white, black, brown, yellow, and red in coloration; native, foreign-born, and re-settled refugee; elderly singles, families with infants in diapers, a few gay partnered people; quite a number of inter-racial couples; and a few "Ozzie and Harriet" middle-America households with teenagers. They meet in the "parish hall" of a church complex never fully realized, and perhaps never to be completed. From the center of the ceiling, extending to the corners of the rectangular interior, are two-foot-wide drapes of cloth in a (changeable) color that reflects the church season. This four-part division represents the gathering of the faithful from the four corners of the earth.

Where each drape descends to the floor, it becomes the backdrop for a small table on which are placed small pieces of statuary, religious icons, and urns for fresh flowers. (As both a financial and ecological principle, all the flowers come from their own gardens on the church property.) The people of the congregation take turns decorating these tables, in one instance with a statue of St. Joseph and fresh violets since the table represents European traditions, in another with a sculpture of Bhudda and oriental quince blossoms since the table represents traditions of the Far East. The symbolism is subtle, but powerful: no one who is called to God is asked to sacrifice his/her culture in coming to God's house. At the same time, these tables are outside the U-shape of congregational seating, which is like theater-in-the-round, so that all eyes are focused on the small stone font (where all are baptized into their life in Christ), and the lectern where God's word is proclaimed.

St. Phillip's has no organ, but they have a splendid guitarist with a deep baritone voice and a love of music. He "rehearses" the congregation through the music just before the service starts, and much of that music is "experimental" (in that it comes from various traditions), but the standard hymnal is present and used as well. While much of the service is conducted in English, the two most crucial portions are not: the readings from scripture and the prayer of consecration. Four readers rise for the Ministry of the Word, two ordained and two lay. Three or four sentences are read first in English, and are then repeated by the other readers, speaking in Spanish, Hindi, and the native American Lakotan dialect. It takes longer than many people are accustomed to, but I found myself magically transported in listening to the "music" of these other languages. I closed my eyes and listened, and I could hear the name of Jesus Christ no matter what language was being spoken. This experience was the first time that I fully appreciated the wisdom of the early Christian fathers, who determined that the season of Pentecost would be the longest of the church year.

The entire congregation stood, and-- reflecting Jesus' journey to Jerusalem-- walked to the altar table at the other end of the worship space, where they gathered in circles around the table. Four con-Celebrants, one from each language/cultural tradition, offered the sacrifice of the mass, in the same fashion as the scriptures were read. A native American woman censed the altar, burning a pod of some local dried flower in a shell, carefully anointing each of the priests through the use of a sacred eagle feather which directed the smoke such that it wrapped around the head of each person. Once the elements were consecrated, they were shared by passing the plate of bread and the cup among the people, and each person ministered to the next. What bound each one to all was common belief, common faith, common worship of the same God.

As I received communion, tears filled my eyes, and I was overpowered by a sense of revelation that, as different as this service was from everything I have experienced in the Episcopal Church, probably this was a lot more like what the actual kingdom of God will look like. When we were dismissed, the phrase "Thanks be to God" leapt from everyone's lips, especially from us visitors who had been privileged to share in this new view of the kingdom. It gave me heart that all will be well for the Episcopal Church in the 21st century.

Contact: Dr. Alfred Price
77 Huntingdon Ave.
Buffalo, NY 14214
Phone: 716-832-1110


0--Return to Contents